Controlling mechanism for belt-shifters.



PATENTBD APR. 23, 1907.

A. B. WALES. CONTROLLING MECHANISM FOR. BBLT SHIPTERS.

AYPLIOATION FILED FEB.6.1907.

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UNITE STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALFRED B. WALES, OF EAST WHITMAN, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR OF ON E-FOURTH TO EDWARD W. MCALLISTER AND ONE-FOURTH TO IRA W. HOLBROOK, BOTHOF BROCKTON,

MASSACHUSETTS.

CONTROLLING MECHANISM FOR BELT-SHIFTERS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented April 28, 1907.

Application filed February 6,1907. Se l o- 356,001.

T on whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALFRED B. W'ALEs, a citizen of the United States,and a resident of East Whitman, county of Plymouth, State ofMassachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Controlling Mechanism forBelt- Shifters, &c., of which the following description, in connectionwith the accompanying drawing, is a specification, like let- IO ters onthe drawing representing like parts.

This invention has for its object the production of novel, simple, andefficient controlling mechanism for belt-shifters, clutches, fire andbulk-head doors, etc., whereby such I 5 device, or a plurality of suchdevices, can be released from a distant point, or points, at Will andthe position thereof quickly changed by suitable actuating means.

In many mam'ifacturing establishments a number of machines are oftendriven by individual belting from a main shaft, and it is sometimes ofgreat mportance to stop such a shaft quickly without the delay attendantupon communicating with the engine room.

By my present invention this can be easily and rapidly accomplished, thedriving belt for the main shaft being governed by a shifter moved by aspring, for instance, to shift the belt onto a loose pulley, and mynovel con- 0 trolling mechanism normally retains the shifter retracted,with the belt in running position.

The controlling mechanism is electrically governed, and from anysuitable point, or from any one of a number of such points, saidmechanism can be made to instantly release the retracted shifter.

I have herein illustrated my invention in connection with abelt-shifter, for purposes of 0 explanation, but it will be manifestthat a clutch may take the place of the belt-shifter. So, too, mycontrolling mechanism is ap plicable for use in connection with anymovable objects, such as fire-doors, which under 5ordinary-circumstances are held open, but which it may be desirable toclose promptly from a distant point, the closing being effected by aspring or weight when released by the controlling mechanism. Doors incol- 5o lision bulk-heads on shipboard may also be controlled in asimilar manner.

The various novel features of my invention will be fully pointed out inthe subjoined l I l I g y 1 l f specification and particularly pointedout in the following claims.

Figure 1 is a view in elevation of a beltshifter and a controllingmechanism therefor embodying one form of my present invention, theelectric circuit and the circuit-changer being shown in connectiontherewith; Fig. 2 is a top plan view thereof below the line 22, Fig. 1,omitting the electric circuit; Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail view of thecontrolling mechanism, the inclosing casing being shown in section,taken on the line 33, Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is a sectional detail on the line4-4, Fig. 3, looking toward the left, the combined latch and armaturebeing shown by full lines in effective or operative position; Fig. 5 isa detail on the line 5*5, Fig. 4, to show more clearly the cooperationof the armature and detent.

In Fig. 1 I have shown a shaft A, having fast and loose pulleys A, A anda belt A by which the shaft is driven from any suitable source of power,not shown, it being supposed that such shaft may drive a number ofmachines, and I have arranged my invention to stop rotation of the shaftfrom a distant point.

The belt-shifter is herein shown as a bar 1 slidable longitudinally insuitable fixed bearings 2 and provided with prongs 3 between which thebelt travels, this shifter being broadly the movable member hereinafterreferred to in the claims, and by such term any movable member, such asa firedoor, a bulk-head door, the movable member of a clutch, etc., isindicated for the purposes of my invention.

In the present instance the movable member, i. (2., the shifter, ismoved forcibly in one direction by a sufficiently strong spring 4, Figs.1 and 2, attached at one end to the bar 1, and fixed at its other end,as to one of the bearings 2,,the spring being broken out in Fig. 2.

As will be manifest the spring is under ten- T sion when the shifter, ormovable member, is retracted, and herein the belt A is on the loo fastpulley when the shifter is retracted.

As a means of detachably connecting the retracted shifter with my novelcontrolling mechanism I have shown a flexible connection, as forinstance a chain 5, attached at one end to the bar 1 and having at itsother is in its operative or effective position,

end a ring 6, the connection being broken out in Figs. 1 and 2, as itmay be of any suitable length to lead to the controlling mechanism.

I will now describe the latter as embodied in one practical formillustrated herein.

A strong casting 7 is shown as semi-spherical in shape and provided withears or lugs 8 by which it is rigidly attached to the wall or any othersuitable part of a room, as by screws 9, Fig.- 1. A boss 10 having anelongated slot 11 therein is formed on the top of the casting, whichlatter serves as a casing and support for the working parts of thecontrolling mechanism, upright parallel ears 12 at opposite sides of theslot sustaining a pivot or fulcrum pin 13, Figs. 3' and 4. Upon this pinis pivotally mounted a combined latch and armature, shown as a flatmetal bar 14, 15 adapted to swing on the pin in the slot 11. The part 14is the latch portion of the bar, and it is cut away at one edge adjacentthe pivot to leave a concave seat 16, which is outside of the boss 10,and in which seat the ring 6 is held when the latch see full lines Fig.4, and also Figs. 1 and 2. At such time the spring 4 is under tensionand istending to pull the connection 5 in the direction of the arrow 50,Figs. 1, 2 and 4, the line of such pull or strain being close to the pin13, so that the leverage is very short. The latch portion has a notch 17in its edge opposite the seat 16, to engage the casing when the latch isin effective position, to serve as a stop in that direction. Said latchportion is extended to form the armature 15 of an electro-magnet 18,connected by a bracket 19' with the casing 7, the electromagnet being solocated that when the latcharmature is in effective position thearmature 15 will be opposite the poles of the magnet, see Fig. 4. Thelatch-armature can swing on the pivot or fulcrum 13, and it can alsomove a slight distance laterally in the slot 11, when the magnet isenergized. The armature 15 is provided with a small projection or lug 20on the face away from the magnet, to cooperate with a detent 21 fastenedto the interior of the casing 7 by a screw 22 which also serves as abinding post. The detent 21 is a resilient piece of metal, andsubstantially V-shaped, as shown, so that the lug 20 can wipe across itsinclined face when setting the latch, the free end of said detentengaging the lug when the parts are set.

A light spring 23, Fig. 3, connecting the latch-armature and the casing,tends to draw the armature laterally away from the poles of the magnetand against the detent, as in full lines Fig. 3. The leverage betweenthe lug 20 and the pin 13 is very much greater than the leverage betweensaid pin 13 and the point at which the ring 6 acts upon the latch 14, sothat a powerful force acting against the latch can be easily resisted bythe detent.

If the parts of the controlling mechanism are in effective or operativeposition, with the latch-armature in full line position, Figs. 3 and 4,the movable member, as the beltshifter, will be maintained retractedagainst the force of the actuating spring 4.

When the electro-magnet is energized it attracts the armature, moving ita slight distance laterally, toward the right Fig. 3, but enough todisengage the lug 20 from the detent 21, thereby freeing the latch andarmature from control by the detent. Now the spring 4 is free to act andit immediately throws the'latch-armature into ineffective or inoperativeposition, see dotted lines Fig. 4, and the ring 6 draws out of the seat16, releasing the connection between the controlling mechanism and themember to be controlled thereby. In this instance the belt shifter isreleased and the belt A is instantly shifted to stop rotation of theshaft A. One end of the magnet coil, as 24, Fig. 3, is led to a bindingpost or screw 25 on the casing 7, and one branch 26 of an electriccircuit is connected with said post, the circuit including acircuit-closer, as a push-button 27, Fig. 1. The other branch 28 of thecircuit is connected with the binding post 22, and the end 29 of themagnet coil is connected in circuit with the casing 7 in any suitablemanner, as by screw 30. Normally the circuit is open at the push-button27 which is located at any convenient point, and when the circuit isclosed thereat the end 29 of the coil is electrically included in thecircuit through the casing 7, latch-armature, detent 21, andbinding-screw 22, in practice both binding screws being insulated fromthe casing.

When the energized magnet attracts the armature the circuit is broken atthe detent 21 the instant the lug 20 is freed from the de tent, so thatthe magnet is denergized and offers no resistance whatever to theswinging movement of the latch-armature to release the shifter.

The setting of the controlling mechanism is readily effected by movingthe latch-armature from dotted to full line position, Fig. 4, thefingers engaging the part of the latch outside of the casing for suchpurpose, and the armature wiping over the detent till the lug 20 is inits operative position, as described.

The action of the electro-magnet is directly upon the armature, and thelatter is a part of Y the latch itself, as will be manifest, affording avery simple, direct-acting and efficient form of controlling mechanism.

As many operatin points or circuitchangers may be included in theelectric circuit as may be desired, so that the controlling mechanismcan be governed from one point or a plurality of points.

' The casing within which the majority of the operating parts of thecontrolling mechanism are inclosed serves to protect them from injuryand also affords a lirin, rigid and efficient support therefor.

So far as the lateral movement of the armature is concerned it is soslight that practically a loose fit on the fulcrum pin 13 will besufficient to afford the desired lateral play.

My invention is not restricted to the precise construction andarrangement herein shown and described, as I have merely illustrated onepractical embodiment of my invention.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is 1. In apparatus of the class described, amovable member, means to forcibly move it, and mechanism to retain saidmember retracted, said mechanism comprising an. armature adapted to bedetach-ably connected with said member when retracted, a detent to holdthe armature in elfective position,

and an eleetro-magnetic device to actupon the armature and free it fromthe detent the freed armature being thereupon moved to release saidmovable member by the action of the means for forcibly moving the same.

2. In apparatus of the class described, a movable member, means toforcibly move it, and mechanism to retain said memberretracted, saidmechanism comprising a pivotally mounted armature having a limitedlateral movement and adapted to be detachably connected with said memberwhen retracted, a detent to hold the armature in effective position, andan electro-magnet to act upon the armature and effect lateral movementthereof to free it from the detent, the armature when so freed beingswung on its pivot, by the action of the means for forcibly moving thesaid movable member, to thereby release the latter.

3. In apparatus of the class described, a movable member, a spring tomove it in one direction, and mechanism to retain said member retractedagainst the action of the spring, said mechanism comprising a combinedlatch and armature adapted to be detachably connected with said memberwhen retracted, a detent independent of said member to at such timecooperate with the latcharmature, and an electro-magnet to act upon thelatter 'and free it from the detent, whereby the spring acts toinoperatively position the latch-armature and effect movement of themovable member.

l. In apparatus of the class descril'ied, a movable member, a spring tomove it in one direction, and mechanism to retain said member retractedagainst the action of the spring, said mechanism comprising a pivotallymounted latch-armature, a detachable connection between it and themovable mem ber when retracted, the pull on the connec tion acting closeto the fulcrum of the latcharmature when the latter is in effectiveposition, a detent independent of the detachable connection, to retainthe latch-armature in such position, and an electro-nnignet to free thelatch-armature from the detent and permit movement of the former on itspivot to release the movable member.

5. In apparatus of the class described, a spring-actuated movablemember, a pivotally mounted armature having a latch portion adjacent itspivot, a detachable connection between the latch portion and saidspring-controlled member, to retain the latter retracted, a detent tocooperate directly with and retain the armature in effective position,and an electro-magnet to effect slight lateral movement of the armatureand free it from the detent.

6. In apparatus of the class described, a springactuated shifter, alatch adapted when operatively positioned to hold the shifter retracted,a detent independent of the shifter to engage and hold the latch in suchposition, and an electromagnetic device to act directly upon the latchand free it from control of the detent, to release the shifter.

7. In apparatus of the class described, a spring-actuated shifter, apivotally mounted latch extended to form an armature and eapable ofslight lateral movement, a detent to engage the armature and maintainthe latch from pivotal movement, means to detachably connect theretracted shifter with the latch when held by the detent, and anelectromagnet to act upon the armature and free it from control of thedetent, to thereby permit pivotal movement of the latch and release ofthe shifter.

8. In apparatus of the class described, a spring-actuated movablemember, a latch having an extension. constituting an armature, a casingon which the latch is fulcrumed and through which it extends, a detentwithin the casing to cooperate with the extension and hold the latch ineffective position, a detachable connection between the movable memberand the latch when the latter is effectively positioned, to retain saidmovable member retracted, an electro-magnet to act when energized uponthe armature and free the latch from control of the detent, acontrolling circuit in which the magnet is included, and a spring towithdraw the annature from the magnet when the latter is deenergized.

9. In apparatus of the class described, a movable member, an actuatortherefor, an electro-magnet, a pivotally mounted armature thereforhaving a latch portion adjacent its pivot, a detent to engage thearmature and operatively position the latch portion, a detachableconnection between the movable member and the latch portion when so positioned, to maintain said member retracted,

the electro-Inagnet When energized freeing In testimony whereof, I havesigned my the armature from the detent and permitting name to thisspecification, 1n the presence of pivotal movement of said armature,whereby tWo subscribing Witnesses.

the latch portion releases the movable mem- ALFRED B. WALES. 5 ber, andmeans to denergize the electro- Witnesses.

magnet upon disengagement of the armature EDWARD l/V. MoALLIsTER,

and detent. JOHN C. EDWARDS.

